10In summer 2016 Healthwatch Nottingham and Healthwatch Nottinghamshire launched a joint project which aimed to evaluate patient and carer experiences of a dementia diagnosis, particularly in terms of the information provided during this process.

A joint report has now been published and has found experiences to be generally good, with voluntary sector services and support proving to be invaluable to patients and carers. But there is still more to be done to improve the information and support available for those receiving a dementia diagnosis and their carers; with over half of those responding that their experiences of information and support available after diagnosis were poor.

Our report has found over half of those who contributed to our data had waited over this timescale to see a specialist for their diagnosis. The report also indicates that a higher proportion of City residents were having to wait more than 6 weeks from the point of diagnosis to being seen compared to County residents.

Jez Alcock, Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthwatch said of the report “Latest figures reveal that dementia is now the leading cause of death in England so it is important that affected people are adequately supported. The findings of our report show that there is a need to improve waiting times from the point of referral to diagnosis with a particular focus on reducing inequality between City and County residents.’’